Archimandrite
The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...
Ilarion (russian: Иларио́н, – 29 May 2008) was a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
of the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
. He mostly served in Novgorod Oblast in the small village of Bronnitsa. There, he became widely known as a
spiritual father
Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways.
Confessor of the Faith
Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.clairvoyance and
healing
With physical trauma or disease suffered by an organism, healing involves the repairing of damaged tissue(s), organs and the biological system as a whole and resumption of (normal) functioning. Medicine includes the process by which the cells i ...
to him. The Russian Church is currently considering him for
canonization
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
.
Biography
Fr. Ilarion was born as Ivan Fomich Prikhodko (russian: Ива́н Фо́мич Прихо́дько) in the village of Alenovka in the
Unechsky District
Unechsky District (russian: Унечский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #13-Z and municipalLaw #3-Z district (raion), one of the twenty-seven in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. It is located in the western central part of the oblast. The area o ...
, Bryansk Oblast. His parents Foma and Iuliana gave him and his two siblings a pious upbringing. The family worked the land until the Soviets dispossessed them in the drive to collectivize farming. The Germans took whatever was left after they occupied the territory during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Young Ivan joined the army in 1943 and covertly practiced his faith. The horrors of war and a severe combat injury he suffered shook him to the core. In the hospital, after meeting two nuns of the Catacomb Church, he decided that he himself would become a monk. After the war, his mother blessed his new path; his father was deeply upset, but did not prevent Ivan from entering the monastery.
Ivan entered the Glinsk Hermitage, located in modern-day
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, in 1950. The monastery, dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God, was founded in the 17th century and had a high spiritual reputation; St. Seraphim of Sarov called it “a great school of the spiritual life.” It was closed by the Soviets in 1922, but reopened in 1942. By the time the future Father Ilarion arrived, it was the only operating monastery in Russia. The monastery strictly operated according to the Athonite rule: all property was held in common, and no monk had personal possessions. Ivan developed spiritually from reading the works of the Church Fathers, following the rule of the monastery, and hearing the advice of the monastery’s elders. In 1957, he was
tonsure
Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...
d a monk with the new name of Ilarion, and two years later he became a
hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon (or deacon who has been tonsured monk). Th ...
. Even as a young deacon, people were beginning to come to him for spiritual advice.
Unfortunately, with the renewed religious persecution under
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
, the Glinsk Hermitage was closed, and Fr. Ilarion had to leave the monastery. He served for several years in parishes in
Belgorod Oblast
Belgorod Oblast (russian: Белгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Belgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Belgorod. Population:
History
At the turn of the 17th cent ...
, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1961. He attempted to study at Moscow Theological Academy, and then join the brotherhood of the
Pskov-Caves Monastery
Pskov-Pechory Monastery or The Pskovo-Pechersky Dormition Monastery or Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery (russian: Пско́во-Печ́ерский Успе́нский монасты́рь, et, Petseri klooster) is a Russian Orthodox male monaster ...
, but failed both times due to government restrictions. He then successfully applied to the
Leningrad Theological Academy
The Saint Petersburg Theological Academy (russian: Санкт-Петербургская духовная академия) is a theological seminary in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The academy grants master and doctorate degrees preparing theologi ...
, where he studied from 1963 to 1967, earning a doctorate in theology. As a student, he sought the spiritual counsel of Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) of the Pskov Monastery, and considered him his spiritual father for forty years until Fr. John’s death in 2006. After graduation, Fr. Ilarion stayed at the Academy for some years as a lecturer, and then attempted to join the brotherhood of the
Trinity-Sergius Lavra
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (russian: Тро́ице-Се́ргиева ла́вра) is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Po ...
. Due to his refusal to register with the government, however, he had to leave the monastery.
In 1973, Fr. Ilarion (now elevated to hegumen) began serving in Novgorod Oblast. He briefly served in a church in Novgorod, but was soon transferred to the Church of the Transfiguration in the village of Bronnitsa. He remained at Bronnitsa for the rest of his life, serving at the parish for over thirty years. Father Ilarion revived the spiritual life of Bronnitsa and the surrounding area, and had many devoted spiritual children. He eventually became the designated confessor for all the priests of the Novgorod Diocese. He was also known for his strong powers of prayer, as well as of clairvoyance and healing. He also had a special desire to visit the
Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
and after finally making a pilgrimage there in 1999 wrote a book about his experiences entitled ''In the Promised Land''. In his last years he suffered a decline in health, and reposed in 2008. After his death, all the clergy of the Novgorod Diocese served at his funeral, and thousands grieved. He was buried at the Khutyn Monastery. Archimandrite Ilarion is now considered a candidate for canonization by the Russian Orthodox Church.